Thermionic tube and sockets therefor



Jan. 3, 1956 H. R. HESSE 2,729,801

THERMIONIC TUBE AND SOCKETS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 31, 1951 INVENTOR. HENRY R. HESSE A T ORNE Y5 United States Patent THERMIONTC TUBE AND SOCKETS THEREFOR Henry R. Hesse, East Paterson, N. J., assignor to Allen B.

Du Mont Laboratories, Inc., Clifton, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application August 31, 1951, Serial No. 244,602

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-193) This invention relates to a socket for an electronic tube, particularly adaptable for use in ultra high frequency circuits.

It is frequently desirable that a plurality of terminal pins of an electron tube be connected together. For use at ultra high frequencies, popularly known as U. H. F., it is desirable that these connections between pins should be of a low inductance type.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a socket for an electronic tube which provides electrical connections having low inductance between the tube elements and external circuits. Other objects will be apparent.

In the drawing,

Figures 1 and 2 represent elevational views of the tube and socket mounted on a section of suitable chassis.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of a tuned circuit connected to elements of the socket.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate various alternative embodiments of the invention, Figures 5, 6 and 8 being sectional views.

Certain tubes have been developed, especially for U. H. F. use, which are provided with a plurality of terminal pins connected together within the envelope to a single element and such multiple leads aid in obtaining reduced lead inductances. The present invention is particularly useful in combination with such a tube. In the embodiment of Figures 1, 2, and 3, a thermionic tube 11 is provided with a plurality of connector pins comprising two anode pins 12 and 13, two control grid pins 16 and 17, two filament pins 18 and 19, and a cathode pin 21. The socket assembly comprises an insulative base 26 to which are attached an anode pin receptacle 27, a grid pin receptacle 28, filament pin receptacles 31 and 32, and a cathode pin receptacle 33.

The anode pin receptacle 27 comprises resilient connector portions 36 and 37 which are arranged to grip each of the anode pins 12 and 13 and extend in conductive relationship along the lengths thereof, respectively. These connector portions are supported by a body portion 38 which extends between and along the entire length of each thereof. Similarly, the grid receptacle 28 comprises connector portions 41 and 42 which are arranged to grip the grid pins 16 and 17 and are joined by a body portion 43 extending therebetween, substantially the length thereof. The anode pin and grid pin receptacles 27 and 28 are provided with mounting tabs 46 and 47, respectively, which are attached to the base 26 by suitable means such as rivets 48 and 49.

An insulative block 51 is attached to the base 26 and is provided with cavities in which the filament and cathode receptacles 31, 32 and 33 are resiliently mounted in suitable locations to receive and grip the tube pins 18, 19 and 21. Each of these filament and cathode receptacles is provided with a connector tab 56 to which circuit connections may be attached.

The anode and grid pin receptacles 27 and 28 are arranged so that when mounted on the base 26 as shown, their top edges will be of equal height and will lie in a common horizontal plane. The upper surface of block 51 preferably lies in the same plane or slightly lower than the plane of the top of receptacles 27 and 28. The purpose of this arrangement is to allow the anode and grid receptacles to grip conductively and respectively connect the anode and grid pins at points close to the tube 11.

in Figure 4, the anode and grid pin receptacles 27 and 2? are shown connected to a tuned circuit comprising a trimmer capacitance 61 and a tuned line 62 having a slider tuning element 63. The tuned line 62 may be attached to the anode and grid receptacles at any convenient point thereon. It is preferable, however, to connect such a circuit near the upper portion of the receptacles to provide a shorter electric path between the tuned circuit 62 and the elements within the tube 11.

The anode pin receptacle 27 or the grid pin receptacle 28 may be constructed as shown in the cross sectional view of Figure 5. The elongated conductive members 66 and 67 have end portions 68 and 69, and 71 and 72, respectively, shaped to correspond to the shapes of the tube pins 73 and 74. These members 66 and 67, preferably resilient, may be attached together by suitable means such as a rivet 76.

In the alternate embodiment of Figure 6, the receptacle 81 comprises an elongated conductive member 82 curved at the ends thereof to accommodate and grip tube pins 83 and 84. The depth of the receptacle is preferably substantially equal to the length of the tube pins 33 and 84.

An alternate receptacle construction, shown in a perspective view in Figure 7, comprises a first elongated conductive member 86 having end portions 87 and 3S shaped to receive tube pins, and a second elongated conductive member 89 attached to said first member in adjacent planar relationship by means of a rivet 91 and tab 92.. The tops of the end portions 87 and 88 are flared, as indicated by numerals 93 and 94, to facilitate the insertion of the tube pins. Adjacent the flares 93 and 94, the second member 89 is provided with guide tabs 96 and 97 which are inclined from the plane of the member 89 in order to facilitate further the insertion of tube pins into the orifices provided by the shaped end portions 87 and 88 thereof. Either or both of the first member 86 and second member 89 may be provided with a mounting tab 98 to facilitate attachment to the base 26.

The embodiment of Figure 8 illustrates the invention extended to connect three or more tube pins electrically together with low inductance especially suitable for U. H. F. application. Tube pins 101, 102, and 103 are electrically gripped and supported by orifices formed from a rigid body member 106 comprising a closed polygonal loop of electrically conductive material, shown as being of a generally triangular shape to the sides of which are attached resilient conductive members 107, 108 and 109 by means of rivets 111, 112 and 113 or any other convenient means. When the tube is inserted in this receptacle, the ends of the resilient members 107, 108 and 109 are forced slightly outwardly and away from the body portion 1% providing tension against the tube pins 101, 102 and 103 to give good electrical contact and mechanical support. it will be evident that the invention can be extended to include any desired number of tube pin connections.

The socket in accordance with the present invention, provides a low-inductance connection because the multiple tube receptacles provide a relatively large peripheral surface. It has been found that it is not necessary to provide a large cross-sectional area to obtain a low-inductance connection because of the so-called skinettect at high frequencies. The essential desideratum is to provide a large peripheral surface. The present invention accomplishes this objective in a manner such. that several groups of multiple pin connections may be achieved in a single socket. The laterally elongated body portion of the receptacles should be substantially adjacent to the bottom surface of the tube, in order to provide a maximum shunting effect between the common terminals. Each receptacle is disposed laterally between a plurality of connector pins and electrically grips each of said pins in a resilient manner; each receptacle substantially lies in the plane of and fills the area defined by two of said pins.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various alterations may be made in the device of the present invention in order to adapt it to various uses. Although the invention has been particularly described as being mounted in an upright position, it is obvious that it mav be mounted horizontally or at any desired ar The vention is not limited to use with a thermionic t be; the novel socket can be employed in conjunction with other electrical apparatus, viz. relays, capacitors, and circuit elements which are provided with connector pins. The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector for a circular thermionic tube and the like having at least two connector pins extending therefrom in a common plane across the diameter of said tube, comprising a socket for receiving said pins, said socket comprising an electrically conductive pin receptacle positioned substantially in said plane and extending laterally between said pins and having sui'ficient depth to substantially ii i the area defined thereby, and pin-gripping portions at the lateral extremities of said receptacle, extending along and in electrical contact with substantially the entire lengths, respectively, of said pins.

2. An electrical connector for a circular thermionic tube and the like having at least two pairs of connector pins extending therefrom, one of said pairs in a plane extending across the diameter of said tube the planes of both said pairs being parallel to each other, comprising a socket for receiving said pins, said socket comprising a plurality of electrically conductive pin receptacles respectively positioned in said planes and extending laterally between said pins of each said pair and having sufficient depth to substantially fill the areas defined by the pins in each said pair, and pin-gripping portions at the lateral extremities of said receptacles extending along and in electrical contact with substantially the entire lengths, respectively, of the pins in each said pair.

3. An electrical connector for a thermionic tube having a circular envelope and containing an anode and a grid, wherein a first pair of connector pins extend from said envelope and define first plane across the diameter of said envelope, a second pair of connector pins extend from said envelope and define a second plane substantially parallel to said first plane, connections within said envelope between each of the pins of said first pair and said anode, connections Within said envelope between each of the pins of said second pair and said grid, comprising a socket adapted to receive said pairs of pins, said socket comprising a first elongated receptacle positioned substantially in said first plane and extending laterally between the pins of said first pair and having sufiicient depth to substantially fill the area defined by said first pair of pins, pin-gripping portions at the extremities of said receptacle extending along and in electrical contact with the entire lengths of the respective pins of said first pair, and a second elongated receptacle positioned substantially in second plane and extending laterally between the pins of said second pair and having sufficient depth to subs ntially fill the area defined by said second pair of ins and pin-gripping portions at the extremities of said receptacle extending along and in electrical contact with substantially the entire lengths of the respective pins of said second pair.

4. A low-inductance electrical assembly comprising a thermionic tube and the like having at least three mutually parallel connector pins extending therefrom, and a receptacle for said pins comprising a closed polygonal loop of electrically conductive material, the corners of said polygon being at respective ones of said pins and the respective sides of said polygon being substantially in tl c dificrent planes defined by pairs of said pins, said receptacle having a sumcient depth so that the sides thereof substantially fill the respective areas defined by said pairs of pins, and pin-gripping portions at said corners respectively extending along and in electrical contact with substantially the entire lengths of said connector pins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

